Posted on October 10th, 2016

Robert Haining @Paypal spoke about API theming of mobile apps: Building software for retailers to see outside their web site. He concentrates on iOS development. Theming involves color – e.g. color of buy button, image, style.

They configured the user’s site using controls in their control panel. For example, they default to text, but companies can upload a logo. The information is stored in css file. They translate the json descriptions to the objective-C SDK.

They use Apple’s NSNotification center to update whenever the page is refreshed. They locally cache themes, but download from the API when possible. For fonts, they only use embedded fonts that come with the phone, in preference to the Apple fonts.

They initially show companies a reduced set of options.

They use Oauth for verification for that particular session.

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Next, Arun Ranganathan @Pinterest spoke about their API. Emphasis on finding things you like (as opposed to explicitly searching for something). Concentrates on platforms for companies.

At Pinterest have their own internal APIs. Also have an ad APIs (white listed to partners).

Finally, they have public development APIs. IFTTT allows an interaction with pins in Pinterest. The APIs are also used by the following (makling use of a hex coding of the overall color of each picture):

Topshop (UK retailer) used the pins to deduce your color preferences to market to you.

Valspar (paint) uses the API to better understand the colors you would like for your house.

Burberry created a custom board with unique pins.

Tok&stok (Brazil furniture) allowed physical buttons to be pushed to remind you of your preferences (via Bluetooth LE) as you walk through a store.

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Finally, Ben Halpern @Argo gave a highly entertaining presentation about becoming the practical dev. He applied humor to the dev life on twitter: @ThePracticalDev. He tweets on serious and humorous topics.